Adjustable clamp for slide-rails in mines.



H. F. HEUMANN. ADJUSTABLE CLAMPFOR SLIDE RAILS IN MPNES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 6. 1918.

Patented Apr. 1,1919

maaauur IIIIIIIIII HENRY FREAJ') HEUMANN, 0F MARISSA, ILLINQIS;

ADJUSTABLE CLAMP FOR SLIDE-RAILS IN MINES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY F. HaU wANN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Marissa, in the county of St. Clair and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Adjustable Clamp for Slide-Rails in Mines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to adjustable clamps for slide rails in mines, and its object is to provide a means whereby tracks used in mines may be extended a short distance, which distance is not long enough to admit a full rail.

Under the conditions prevailing in mines, it is often necessary to use track rails placed alongside of the ordinary rails but laid on their sides, in order to continuethe track beyond the ends of the secured rails, especially where the distance is too short to admit the insertion of full lengths of rails end-on to the laid track. The usual custom is to place the slide rail on the inner side of the laid rail with the tread of the slide rail against the inner face of the laid rail and the foot of the rail on edge, the slide rail being spiked into place. Such an arrangement is found to be unsatisfactory, timeconsuming and unrelialble. The invention overcomes the disadvantages of the usual practice by providing a clamp engaging and holding the slide rail and readily made fast to the permanent rail, permitting the ready adjustment of the slide rail, and which clamp may be quickly removed. when room is obtained to lay and permanently secure a full length rail in place of-the slide rail.

The invention will. be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawing butlmay be changed and modified so long as such changes and modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a perspective view showin the application of the clamp to a mine trac Fig. 2 is a cross section through the track Specification of Iietters Patent.

Patented Apr, 1, 1919.

Application filed December 6, 1918. Serial No. 265,580.

with a slide rail in place, the clamp being shown in elevation and the figure being on a larger scale than that of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the adjustable member of the clamp showing a slightly difierent mode of mounting the set screw from that of the preceding figures.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown a track A having permanent rails 1 fixed on ties, the figure showing but a single tie 2. The track A being of a permanent nature has the rails 1 held in place by spikes 3 driven into the tie 2. Under the customary practice, slide rails 4: are laid sidewise against the inner face of the rails 1 so that the treads 5 of the slide rails bear against the inner faces of the webs 6 of the main rails of the track, the slide rails being simply lengths of rails corresponding with the main rails 1 and may be used as continuations of the track where space permits. Under the usual practice, it is customary to spike the slide rails 4 in place but this is injurious to the ties and means the withdrawal of the spikes whenever adjustments become necessary.

The invention provides clamp structures each of which consists of a bar 7 of suitable length, somewhat wider than thick and considerably longer than wide, and having one end '8 at approximately right angles to the length of the bar to constitute an abutment designed to receive the base portion 9 of the slide rail 4: so that the clamp, by engaging the base 9, will hold the tread 5 of the same slide rail against the flange 6 of the main rail 1. That end portion of the clamp body or bar 7 remote from the flange 8 has the face on the same side of the bar as the flange 8 formed with a series of ratchet teeth 10.

The toothed end of the bar 7 is provided with a longitudinal corner groove 11 in the face remote from the teeth 10. Adapted to receive and slide along the toothed bar 7 is a block 12 having a passage 13 therethrough traversed by, the toothed end of the bar 7. The block 12 is formed with a tooth The passage 13 is deep enough opposite the tooth 14 to permit the tooth 14 to be moved out of engagement with the teeth 10- and one end of the passage 13 has the wall thereof remote from that carrying the tooth 14 curved or beveled away from the opposite wall, as indicated at 15, thus permitting a limited rocking movement of the block 12 determined by the extent of beveling at 15.

The block 12 is traversed by a longitudinal passage 16 through which there extends a screw rod 17 having one end 18 tapered or otherwise formed to bear against the web 6 of the rail 1, while the other end of the rod indicated at 19, may be squared for the application of a suitable tool to turn the bar or, under some circumstances, to hold 1t against turning. Mounted on the threaded portion of the screw rod 19 1s a nut 20 constituting a means whereby the rod 17 may be screwed against the web 6 of the rall 1, or'a similar effect is obtainable in the structure shown in Fig. 4 Where the threaded rod 17 instead of traversing a smooth passage 16 through the block 12 1s passed through a threaded passage 16*, thus doing away with the nut 20. It is not necessary, however, even in the structure shown in Fig. 4, that the nut 20 be omitted since it may be used as a jam nut. A set screw 22 traverses one wall of the block 12 opposite the passage 13 so as to enterthe oove 11, thus preventin the block 12 from accidentally slipping rom the bar 7 during-transportation.

In use, the bar 7 underrides the appropriate main rail 1 with the abutment 8 against the foot or base 9 of the rail 1 and the latter with its tread 5 against the Web 6 of the appropriate rail 1. The block 12 with the screw rod 17 sufliciently withdrawn is moved along the toothed end of the bar 7 toward that side of the Web 6 of the rail 1 remote from the rail 4. When the end 18 of the rod 17 is suficientlyclose to the web 6 of the rail 1 and the; block 12 is positioned to engage a tooth 10 by the tooth 14, a wrench or other tool is applied to the squared end 19 of the rod 17 causing the end 18 to engage theweb 6, and further rotation of the rod 17 causes a clamping of the parts together.

Under these conditions a car wheel 23 traveling alon the rail 1 will, upon reaching the end 0 the rail, move therefrom so that its flange 24L will ride upon the web 6 of the rail 4. supporting, with the other wheels, the weight of the truck. The mine car may be moved along the main track and then onto the auxiliary track formed by the slide rails 4:, such auxiliary track "answering the urpose until suflicient space has been obtalnedbeyond the end of the main track to permit the extension of the main track by the addition of main rails and as further extension of the main track is needed other slide rails may be applied and clamped thereto, the permanent extension of the main track being brought about by the use of the slide rails first employed or by other rails answerin the same purpose, in which latter repeatedly as slide rails.

What is claimed is 1. Means for holding slide rails to the main rails of mine tracks, comprising a toothed bar with a flange at one end to engage the base of a slide rail, a clamp block on the toothed end of the toothed bar and provided with a tooth to engage the teeth of the bar, and a clamp screw carried by the block in position to engage the web of a per manent rail of the track on the face thereof remote from the slide rail.

2. Means for holding slide rails to the main rails of mine tracks, comprising a bar with a flange at one end projecting from the bar at an angle thereto and having a series of teeth on the same face of the bar at the end thereof remote from the flange, said bar being provided with a longitudinally extended recess, a block mounted on the bar and having a passage therethrough widened at one end for the reception of the bar, and a tooth to engage any one of the teeth of the bar, a set screw carried by the block for entering the longitudinal groove in the bar, and a screw rod extending through the' block to one side of the passage through the block, whereby to engage one face of the web of a permanently placed rail of the mine track.

3. Means for holding slide rails to the main rails of mine tracks, comprising a bar with a flange at one end angularly related to the bar to engage the base or foot of a slide rail, and a series of teeth at the other end of the bar extending crosswise thereof, and an adjustable clamp member including a block traversed by the bar and movable lengthwise of said bar, said block being rockable on the bar and having a tooth at one ](and for engaging any one of the teeth of the 4. The combination with a main rail and a slide rail of a mine track, of a flat bar for underriding the main rail and provided at one end with a flange at substantially right angles to the bar and of a length to engage the foot or base of the slide rail with the tread of the rail against the web of the main rail, said bar having at the end remote from the flange a series of ratchet teeth extending crosswise of the bar, a block traversed by the tootherd end of the bar and movable lengthwise thereof, said block being rockable on the bar to move the tooth on the block into and out of engagement with the teeth of the bar, and a clamp screw traversing the block in spaced relation to the part of the block traversed by the bar so as to .70 case the first-named slide rails may be used of the slide rail.

5. Means for holding slide rails to the main rails of minetracks, with the slide rail in a horizontal position having its tread bearing against the web of the main rail and the base outstanding therefrom, comprising a bar adapted to be located transversely of the main rail and beneath the same, means at one end bearing against the base of the slide rail, a clamp block at the other end, means for adjustably holding the clamp block on the-bar, and other means mounted in the clamp block for engaging that side of the Web of the main rail opposite to that engaged by the head of the slide rail.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature.

HENRY FREAD HEIUMANN. 

